Loose Ends
by Riama82
Summary: Sequel to "The Visitor" You must read it first to know what's going on . AU after "On The Head Of A Pin". Mary Winchester is back in the world of the living and finally reunited with her sons, now what?
1. Chapter 1

LOOSE ENDS

By Riama

A/N: Okay, this story picks up right where the "The Visitor" left. That MUST be read in order to understand what's going on here, okay? ;-)

A couple of people mentioned in their reviews that Mary should remember the events of ep 4.03 (In The Beginning). Don't worry… There are still lots of loose ends for me to tie in this story (hence the title ;-)).

I hope you like it!

Thanks for reading!

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*****THEN*****

_Missouri greeting a young blonde woman on her doorstep._

_- Mary, honey, come in. You must be freezing out there._

_***_

_- Today's 15th of March of 2009, Mary. You've been dead for more than 25 years now._

_***_

_- My babies…_

_***_

_- Tell me what happened after my death, Missouri._

_***_

_It was then, in that exact moment, when for a few seconds she saw the six months old baby he once was inside the 6'4 man in front of her._

_- Sammy…_

_*******_

_Castiel: __ Someday your son will be the one to save the world Mary, and for that purpose he will need to be special._

_***_

_- Dean…_

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*****NOW*****

**Lawrence, Kansas**

**Missouri's living-room**

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The morning light caught mother and son soundly asleep. There were no sounds to accompany the peaceful scene. Only the tic-tac of the clock could be heard, and maybe a few birds too.

Mary was half sitting on the couch, right elbow resting on the couch's arm, right hand supporting her head, legs half bended to her left. That couldn't be comfortable.

Dean was lying awkwardly on the too-short piece of furniture, his head resting on his mother's lap and his drool soaking her clothes just under his mouth.

Dean woke up suddenly and terror overtook him. He should be already used to that, it had happened almost every morning since his return from Hell.

He would wake up, soaked in sweat, not remembering where or when he was, afraid of being in the middle of some sick demonic game designed to play with his mind. Not knowing the difference between reality and nightmare. Not all forms or torture were physical, that he learnt the hard way.

He felt something warm on his hair and something soft under his head. But the scent of lavender was all he needed to find his bearings and relax. _Mom._

He stood up slowly, careful not to wake Mary. And he stood there, in front of her, for a few seconds. Staring at her, not moving, afraid of blinking and finding out all it had been all a dream.

Finally realizing that she was real, like _really_ real, Dean tucked her in with a blanket and left the room.

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Missouri was in the kitchen, busy making pancakes. She didn't look up when he arrived but he was sure she was perfectly aware of his presence.

He scratched the back of his head nervously, suddenly embarrassed by his outburst from the day before.

"Hey."

"Good morning Dean. Slept well?"

The truth was he had slept like a baby. No nightmares or hallucinations. He hadn't felt so himself in months. Last night he had felt safe enough to let himself relax. But he wasn't letting Missouri know that. That wasn't her frigging business! Anyway, she probably knew it already…

"Yeah, thanks…" He replied.

"Well… Don't stay there boy. Make yourself useful. Your family will be here any minute now. Help me with the breakfast, there should be some bacon in the fridge."

Looking slightly offended, he obeyed.

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When Sam got into the kitchen, bleary eyed and half asleep, he couldn't believe the picture in front of him.

Dean was cooking.

He rubbed his eyes and looked again.

Not only cooking, but wearing one of those "kiss the chef" aprons. Yeah, he must be dreaming.

The older Winchester heard him enter and looked up from the pan of bacon.

Sam simply gaped at him.

Dean replied by rolling his eyes dramatically.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer."

Sam took a step towards his brother, trying hard not to pull him into a hug. He had been so worried. So he decided to be angry at him instead.

"Are you okay? Where have you been? We were so…"

"I'm fine", he cut a little too fast. "Just needed some time to cool off."

He fixed his eyes on the food in front of him, not wanting to make eye contact with him. Not yet.

He finally raised his head and looked at Sammy, smiling.

"Besides, I left the Impala here. I would never leave her alone." Translation: I would never leave _you_ alone.

Sam smiled back, getting the meaning behind his brother's words. After 26 years of training he had gotten pretty good at Deanish. His brother was fine. Well, maybe not completely fine, but at least he was closer to his old self.

"And with that I mean that I would never leave her alone _with you_. Thinking about how you corrupted her the last time…" He shuddered.

"That was an I-Pod, jerk."

"Bitch."

Missouri chose that moment to make her appearance. _Good timing or privileged information?_ She smiled at the relaxed scene she suddenly found herself in. The boys were grinning at some private joke she didn't get, and she found herself smiling with them.

"Dean, go take a shower, you stink. Sam, set the table."

The boys stared at her but didn't move. Dean sniffed his T-shirt but said nothing.

"Move!" She commanded, and they hurried out of her way.


	2. Chapter 2

**LOOSE ENDS**

**Chapter 2**

A/N: I'm trying something different: Mary's POV.

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I woke up sore and really uncomfortable. My right leg was numb and so was my ass after spending the night in such an awkward position. I looked around Missouri's living room and for the first time I noticed the blanket.

_Who had… Dean! _I stood up a little too fast and got dizzy.

Then I remembered the night before. Finding Dean in the half-illuminated kitchen, crying, hugging him, more crying, ending in the couch, trying to soothe him like when he was a baby and had nightmares… We didn't talk, neither of us needed that. We just stayed there. He lied down and let me stroke his hear in the dark room. _Sshhhhh. It's okay, I'm here now._

_My_ son needed me and that's all that mattered…

_Was that… bacon?_ My stomach protested at the thought while I put the blanket over myself and made my way to the kitchen. I could hear voices coming from said room and realized that I had been the last one to get up.

As I had guessed they were all in the kitchen. The table was set and was filled with all kinds of food: bacon, pancakes, eggs… coffee! The best stuff.

Missouri was sitting at the table and she was looking at me as I walked in.

The boys were… fighting I suppose. But in that way only brothers fight. Dean shoved his brother playfully and Sam laughed at the gesture. I realized I haven't seen then smile in a long time.

Then they saw me and froze. I felt like the party pooper.

I simply looked at them and smiled. Sammy smiled back, but Dean fixed his eyes on the floor, probably embarrassed. If he was anything like John, he probably wasn't very given to signs of affection. If he was anything like John he probably was as proud as him and didn't like to be seen vulnerable.

I was surprised when Sammy was in front of me in a second and pulled me into a hug.

- Good morning Mom, he said giving me a kiss. We've made breakfast.

He seemed so eager to please me, to be… _liked, _acceptedthat I wanted to cry. I rubbed his arm and returned his kiss.

- Thanks Sammy. I'm starving.

His smile grew bigger, if that was even possible. He looked happy, pleased with himself. Then I noticed how handsome he was. The day before, when we had met, it was already dark outside. But in the daylight I could see him more clearly. He was all John. I could see the Winchester's features on his young face.

Then I turned to Dean. It felt like déjà vu. I took his face in my hands, I looked into his eyes, trying to get to him like the night before. As it had happened with my youngest, I saw Dean for the first time in daylight and, God, Sammy was handsome but Dean was truly beautiful… I couldn't help but grin like an idiot.

- Good morning Dean.

- Morning Mom.

- Are you hungry?, I asked him.

He smirked.

- I'm starving.

Missouri smiled satisfied.

- Okay, then sit down and eat. This food isn't gonna eat itself!

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Ten minutes later we were having a great time around the table. We were exchanging stories: I would tell them stories from when they were kids, and they would tell me stories from their time growing up. _Without me…_ Just one rule: only happy memories.

It was my turn…

- One day I was sitting out in the porch, reading a book or something, while Dean was playing out in the backyard. It was a couple of weeks before you were born, Sammy. Suddenly he appeared besides me and coughed to get my attention. He said "I found a frog". I asked him "Is it dead or alive?", because, well… I hate those things. Werewolves, ghosts, shapeshifters,… I'm fine with those. But frogs… He said it was dead so I asked how did he know. Very confidently Dean said, "I pissed in its ear." I thought I have misheard so I asked "You what?" He looked at me as if I were dumb and replied "You know… I went to his ear and said 'PSST!' and it didn't move. So it must be dead."

I was laughing so hard that I had problems breathing. Sam and Missouri were literally crying, and Dean was trying a little too hard not to smile. But when my youngest let out a noise way too similar to a donkey's bray, he looked at him exaggeratedly disgusted. But then he couldn't resist it and soon was laughing out loud with us.

But happiness didn't last long. I knew it was over as Missouri paled as she looked behind me. My sons mimicked her. And as soon as I turned to look I knew why.

- Castiel, I stated.

I'm sure the boys were surprised I knew Castiel, but my eyes were fixed on the strange guy in front of me so I didn't turn to confirm it.

The angel stepped in the kitchen without invitation.

- You have to go.

As soon as the words left his lips there was a chain of unexpected events. Dean hit the table with his fist and stood up, making his chair fall to the floor noisily.

- You bastard! You have to be kidding me!

Sammy stood up too, staying close to his brother in case he was needed.

If Castiel was affected by any of these, he didn't show. He looked at Dean calmly, and that only infuriated him more.

- You can't show up now and…!

The angel simply ignored him and turned to me.

- Mary, you must tell him the truth and soon. And you have to leave. By staying here you're putting Missouri at serious risk.

Castiel vanished. That was so annoying.

- Does he always do that? I asked my sons, trying to lighten up the mood.

It didn't work.

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We decided to follow Castiel's advice, not wanting to risk Missouri's safety. Sam said we would be safe with a friend of John, some guy called Bobby.

So, 45 minutes later we said our goodbyes. I thanked Missouri for everything and we left the safety of her house.

It was then, seeing Dean in his leather jacket, hip casually resting against the Impala while he waited, when I had a flashback. I remembered that cocky guy I met days before my parents' death, so long ago. I remember him warning me… about the night of my death.

I couldn't believe I had been so blind. For the first time I looked at Dean and saw _Dean_.

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	3. Chapter 3

**LOOSE ENDS**

**Chapter 3**

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**A/N: I'm sorry for the lack of updates, but the school year is almost over and as soon as I'm finished with all my reports I'll start writing.**

**Thanks to all the readers and reviewers ;-) Enjoy!**

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**Sam's POV**

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After talking to Bobby and warning him about our inminent visit, and after telling him about a dozen times that yes, she was indeed our mother in the flesh (no shapeshifter, no demon, no revenant... Just another Winchester that had miracously come back from the dead), we were ready to leave.

I was more than a little reluctant to leave Missouri's and the sense of safety that her place had always provided. And having Dean and Mom there with me... I had suspected all the time that it was too good to be true. I know I should be already used to living on the road but... fucking angels!

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Dean was waiting for us at the Impala, leaning casually on it (sorry, _her_). He was looking more relaxed and more like the brother I remembered than in the last few weeks. And Mom was standing right in front of me, at the porch, looking at Dean and unmoving. I was unable too see her face but she was lost in her thoughts. She had seen something.

"Mom?"

When she didn't show signs of having heard me I walked up to her and, placing my hand on her shoulder, I tried again.

"Mom?"

She looked up at me, startled.

"Where were you?"

She frowned.

"What?"

I have to admit that I was a little bit worried by then. I had been worried about losing her since the minute Missouri had told us she was back.

"You were like miles away. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah... I'm fine. I was just thinking about... stuff. Too much information, you know? And...", she looked down at the dress she was wearing, "I can't wait to lay my hands on a good pair of jeans."

She smiled at me and I couldn't help but smile in return. But I knew she was keeping something from me. If she was anything like Dean, she was probably hiding something. And it had surprised me greatly, in the few hours we had spent together, how much alike my mother and brother were. And not just physically.

"Let's go", she said patting my back. "Your brother is waiting for us."

And we walked away. And if I had turned to glance at the house for the last time, I would have seen Missouri watching us from the window, smiling knowingly.

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The house is silent now and Missouri is watching the Winchester family leaving once again. It was already the third time it happened.

The first time it was a broken young man full of questions with his two little boys. The second time two young men looking for their dad. And now two sons and their long lost mother looking for answers. She realized that this particular family had never been really complete. They had been happy and together for about six months before everything was ruined. Her heart ached for them.

She sighed.

"Why didn't you tell them?"

"Why didn't YOU tell them, Missouri?", Castiel asked from his place in the shadows.

"They don't need to know yet."

Castiel nodded, agreeing with the psychic's words.

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**Dean's POV**

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It was raining an awful lot. Scratch that, it was pouring. The car was terribly silent. Only the squealing sound of the windshield wipers... What the f!ck?! Where did _that_ come from? I have to change those wipers.

Swish, swish, swish...

I found myself humming the tune while singing in my head.

_The wipers on the bus go Swish, swish, swish;  
Swish, swish, swish;  
Swish, swish, swish.  
The wipers on the bus go Swish, swish, swish,  
all through the town._

I didn't realize I was whistling along until I saw Sam through the rear-view mirror looking at me as if I had grown a second head or something. He was looking ridiculously awkward all folded up in the back seat. Like a clown in one of those circus's mini-cars. Mom was looking at me quite strangely too.

I coughed uncomfortable and looked at Sam defiantly.

"What?", I spat.

"You are kidding, right? What are you? Five?"

I smiled.

"Let me make the introductions. Mom, bitch-face Sammy. Bitch-face, Mom."

"Jerk."

"Boys..."

The car got quiet and we both smiled. It was great having Mom with us.

"Dean! Watch out!"

At my mother's warning I looked around trying to identify the imminent danger. And, as these things happen usually, they never seem to happen fast enough.

Something collided with the back of the car, hard.

I heard Sammy cursing in the back seat.

Then I looked to the left and saw it. A green Pontiac approaching us at an alarming speed. When it was close enough I could see the source of the danger: the completely black eyes of the driver.

"Shit!", I said as the demon got even closer to my baby. A scratching sound coming from the violent encounter.

I rolled down the window angrily.

"Son of a...! Touch my car again and I'll kill you!"

Said demon took my words as an invitation and stroke again, trying to push us out of the road.

"Okay! That's it!"

I was furious. I'm the only one that can touch my baby.

I gripped the steering wheel harder and, in one quick movement, I jerked the Impala to the left taking the demon by surprise.

He... because even if it was indeed an "it", it looked like a "he" and I couldn't help thinking of "it" as "him"... _He_ tried to avoid crashing with me (Why? He was already dead, right? Remains of some kind of human survival instinct?). He swivelled the car unexpectedly and ended up crashing into a tree.

I parked the Impala besides the poor innocent tree. I slammed the door shut. I inspected the damage, I saw the scratches on the paint...

"Fucking bastard!"

I walked to the Pontiac, not really hearing Sammy's warnings. I have to admit that during all of these I didn't realized if Mom and Sam had said anything to me. It had become something personal.

The demon got off the car as I approached angrily. All I could think of was that he had tried to kill my family.

Then something unexpected happened.

The demon looked over my shoulder and his face morphed from cocky to frightened in a second. He paled and whispered "Oh shit..."

He opened his mouth and a black cloud of smoke came out. The host fell unconsciously to the floor and that was it.

I looked behind me, finally realizing that I wasn't alone.

What had he seen that scared him so much?

Well, in that moment I was expecting Sam bitching about me being so reckless. But instead, Mom pushed past him and slapped me.

_She slapped me_.

Hard.

Well, maybe not that hard, but it surely hurt worse than anything else.

My hand went immediately to my face. She had never hit me before. I stared at her, dumfounded.

She looked really pissed and her eyes where shining dangerously. _Please, don't cry Mom. Don't cry Mom. Don't cry Mom._

"Dean Winchester! What the fuck were you thinking?!"

I looked at Sam, who looked as stunned as I was. She grabbed my face fiercely to have my attention.

"I asked you a question. I expect an answer."

"I... I wanted to kill it."

Oh, wasn't that lame...

"And how were you planning to do that?", Sam interceded.

Way to go, little bro. Teaming up with Mom. Nice...

Mom looked even angrier than before.

"Well?"

And for the first time in a long time I was speechless. What was I thinking? I'm perfectly aware that you can't kill a demon (well, at least not without a magic knife of course), and I wasn't ready to do an exorcism. But I had felt so confident... I was getting worried. Was I out of control? Was I out of my mind?

"I... I don't know", I answered honestly.

They must have sensed my confusion because they let go.

Mom's scowl softened.

"It's okay, Dean. We'll better hurry now."

"Yeah. We have a two day drive ahead."

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**Mary's POV**

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Hours later, with the three of us locked in a motel room, I decided it was time to talk.


	4. Chapter 4

**LOOSE ENDS**

**Chapter 4**

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The motel room was… well, a motel room. Nothing special about it. It had a not very clean and really small bathroom, TV, two beds and no Magic Fingers to Dean's dismay.

Only one room because the boys wanted to keep Mary in sight.

After their encounter with the demon on the road they had decided that the best option was to stick together. They didn't know who was he after.

Dean took the last of the duffel bags from the car and into the room, while Sam put salt around windows and doors. Mary simply sat in one of the beds, staring at them, sadness growing inside of her. She felt like an invisible hand was oppressing her heart and fought hard not to cry. Her sons were securing the house with rock salt and symbols and getting their guns ready as if they were preparing dinner. It was a routine for them, she noted, just like brushing your teeth before going to bed.

- "This is not what I wanted for you", she whispered.

They stopped and looked at her confused.

- "What?"

- "This", she said motioning to the salt and guns. "This is not what I wanted for you. I wanted you to be normal."

Sam could understand perfectly her feelings. Once, not so long ago, he had wanted normalcy too. He had savored normalcy before everything was taken from him. He hated the fact that she could feel guilty about that. They had already discussed the matter and he understood her reasons to make the deal that had saved John's life once. After all, if she hadn't made that deal Dean and himself wouldn't be alive. And if you have to choose between this life and not life at all…

Dean in the other hand knew what had happened the day deal was made. Hell, he had been there! He remembered how he had tried to warn her, telling her not go get out of bed the night of the fire. Why hadn't she listened to him? He looked at her mother angrily. Did she remember any of that?

Their eyes locked and he realized she did.

- "You do remember what I told you, don't you? You know it was me, right? I warned you…"

She looked away.

- "You could have stopped all of this before it started!"

Sam was confused for a minute, completely lost. Then he remembered what Dean had told him about his little time-travel experience and all made sense. He felt the urge to protect his mother. Dean was angry and wasn't thinking clearly.

- "What would have changed, Dean?", he asked his brother calmly. "The demon… He wanted me. He… He gave me his blood and that couldn't be stopped. Okay, she wouldn't have died, but you would not know that there was something evil in me…"

Dean opened his mouth to reply to that, but Sam held up his hand telling him that he needed to finish.

- "You wouldn't know there was something evil in me 'til it was too late. I would have probably killed all of you because you wouldn't be prepared. Don't blame Mom for that. She gave her life trying to protect me. Don't blame her for that because you would've done the same thing. You _did_ the same thing…"

Dean said nothing. He tried to digest Sam's words. They made sense. He hated how Sam always seems to be the rational one and he hated that he was right this time. The fact was that he could understand his mom perfectly. They had both died to save Sammy…

- "I'm sorry, Mom."

- "It's okay, my angel. Nobody blames me more than I do."

The room went quiet. Dean felt really awkward. He cleared his throat and resumed cleaning the guns without a word.

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All three Winchesters had been soundly asleep for hours. They had finally given in to exhaustion and they were getting the much needed rest.

Sam and Dean were sharing a bed. It had been a long time since they had slept in the same bed, and back then Dean was still taller than his younger brother. Sharing such a limited space with the brick wall his Sammy was now was pretty uncomfortable. Sam might take most of the bed, but Dean made sure he took all the blankets. He wrapped himself up tighter in all the blankets and smiled happily in his sleep.

Mary waited until her sons were finally asleep to close her eyes.

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Something woke Sam in the middle of the night. He stayed in bed, eyes closed and not moving, trying to identify the source of the noise that had interrupted his sleep. He heard something moving around the room. He turn on the lights and sat up in bed. Or maybe he sat up and turn on the lights… He didn't know the order.

There was a man sitting on a chair besides the window. His hands were resting on his knees and he was smiling at Sam. His calmness was creeping Sam out.

- "Hello Sam."

Sam stood up but didn't go near the stranger.

Mary, who had woken up, was the first to speak.

- "Who are you?"

As an answer his eyes turned black, and Mary paled.

Dean sat up in bed groggily, looking around half asleep. When he saw the demon he rapidly took the knife he kept under his pillow and stood up.

The demon smirked, not bothering to move from the chair. He looked at Dean, taking in his appearance. Dean was in boxers and t-shirt, his hair all ruffled.

- "So you are… _him_?" He giggled.

- "What do you want?"

- "I'm here to stop you from becoming one of them, Dean."

Dean looked at him clearly confused.

- "What?"

The demon looked surprised, but a glance at Mary and he smiled knowingly.

- "So you haven't told him yet…"

Sam looked from the demon to his mother, then from Dean to the demon and finally back at Mary.

- "What is he talking about?"

- "This is getting really interesting…", the demon said clearly pleased with the situation. "I wish I had some popcorn."

- "To sum up, your brother is the chosen one to kill Lucifer. He's kind of an… _angel_ and I had been keeping his grace for him since the day he was born. That's why I knew Castiel."

That left them all speechless.

Dean simply stared at his mom. He was a what??! That couldn't be… There was nothing… angelical about him. Sure, a few women would disagree with him but… an angel?! Come on!

Sam chuckled. Dean Winchester an angel?! Ha, didn't they know him?

Dean was the first to speak.

- "A fricking angel?! You got to be kidding me… Mom?"

Mary simply nodded.

- "Well, not exactly an angel." The demon said walking up to him. "As I've told you, I'm here to stop you from getting your grace back and becoming..." He gestured up to the ceiling, disgusted "… one of _them_."

- "It's too late."

They all turned to look at Castiel who had appeared as if by magic.

Now it was the demon's turn to look shocked.

- "What??!"

- "He already has his grace. You are too late", Castiel stated calmly.

- "You're lying."

- "Angels don't lie."

The demon snorted at that.

- "Don't toy with me."

- "I'm not… _toying_ with you."

The three Winchesters were watching the demon-angel exchange as if it were a tennis match.

- "Shut up!"

They all looked at Dean surprised by the sudden outburst.

- "But how… when…" He was trying to get his mind around the whole thing.

- "The night you and your mother met." Castiel responded. "It was… an automatic response. You and your grace are two parts of the same being that belong together, like a puzzle. So the moment you were in the same room and you touched…"

- "But I don't feel any different."

- "Are you sure? You were broken, Dean. You felt sad, exhausted… Are you telling me that you don't feel better now? More confident? Stronger? Happier…? There was something missing and you found it. And I suppose that being reunited with your mother didn't hurt either…"

Mary smirked.

- "Geez Castiel. You sure know how to make a girl feel special."

Then the demon coughed to get their attention and smirked in a way that creeped Sam out.

- "I'm sorry I have to be the party pooper here, but I'm afraid I'll have to spoil your nice little family moment. Dean has his grace back? Okay, then you'll have to prove it."

And with that he drew a gun from his jacket, aimed it at Mary and shoot. Then he turned to Dean and did the same.

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	5. Chapter 5

**LOOSE ENDS**

**Chapter 5**

**by Riama**

**A/N: I'm sorry this chapter is so short, but next one will be up soon. ;-) Please, enjoy and... review!!! ;-)**

**Thanks for reading!**

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The first thing Dean was conscious of was the silence. Well, not exactly silence. It was more like when you are under water and everything sounds kinda muffled.

White noise is the proper name for that. He was sure he had Sam mention that information. _General knowledge_, he would say it was.

He was aware of the movement around him. And where there was movement there had to be people, right? But who? And where was he? And why couldn't he focus on his surroundings? Why couldn't he open his eyes or move?

Then everything came back together too fast. Sounds, light and pain. The sounds were too loud, the light was too bright and the pain was… well, too painful. It was overwhelming.

Everything was kind of blurry and suddenly he was aware he couldn't breathe.

"Dean, you have to calm down."

That was Sammy.

He tried to focus on his brother face, who was hovering over him, but everything blurred again. He shook his head and tried again.

"Smmmy…"

He didn't like the way his voice came out, too weak and raspy. If Sam heard him he didn't show. He was busy pressing his hands on his older brother's chest. Dean looked down at himself, curious to see what was all the fuss about. Weird. He didn't remember wearing a dark T-shirt…

A wave of pain left him gasping for breath. His back arched and he bit his lip to avoid screaming. Sam didn't let go, keeping his hands in place. Dean glanced at his brother angrily, but it didn't have much effect.

"Sorry Dean. I have to stop the bleeding."

"How is he?"

It took him a few seconds to identify the voice. It was Castiel, but it showed so much… emotion that he didn't recognize it at first.

He turned his head trying to see where the angel was and what he saw was worse than anything he had witnessed in Hell.

"Mom."

He suddenly remember everything. The motel room, his mom, Sammy, Castiel, the demon (who had mysteriously disappeared), the gun…

Mary was lying on the floor, eyes clothes and too pale. He could see her chest moving up and down so she was alive, but not for too long judging by the rapid breathing. Blood was soaking her dress around her stomach. The image was too familiar…

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_He couldn't sleep so he went to his parents' bedroom as usual. They had been pretty busy lately looking after Sammy. He could understand that. After all he was a big boy now, and Sammy was still a baby and could do nothing by himself. But he missed playing with Dad, and spending time with Mom. The bedroom was empty. They were probably in Sammy's nursery. He hesitated before going to his brother's room, but went anyway. He stopped by the doorway, scanning the room. There was nobody inside. That was strange. Then he heard a whining sound that made him look up. What he saw that night invaded his nightmares for years after that and left him terrified and speechless for a long time..._

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A single tear made his way down Dean's freckled face.

"Dean!"

He looked up at Sam, blinking fast. Then he looked back at Mary, taking in the scene. He noticed Castiel kneeling besides his mom, hands on her wound mimicking Sam's posture.

"Dean, look at me!"

He felt so tired.

Castiel stared sadly at Sam.

"I can't do this by myself, Sam. There's too much damage."

Sam's head whipped to look at Castiel, desperation and sadness visible on his face.

"What can we do?"

"I need Dean's help to heal her."

"What?!"

"He can use his grace to heal, just like I can."

"But… but what about him?"

"Your mother is in worse shape than he is. I can feel life draining from her body. We should help her and… pray for Dean to get better."

Sam snorted in disbelief.

"Pray?? Are you…"

"Do it."

Sam looked down at Dean, bewildered.

"What??"

"Let's do it… Sam."

The younger Winchester locked eyes with his brother. This was very Dean-like, to place other people's safety over his own. He had made that decision without even blinking. He had decided to save his mother's life without knowing if he was gonna survive. He didn't think, just acted. That was Dean for you.

He looked at his brother. He was pale and sweating profusely. His breath, although labored, was rapid. He was clearly in shock and not thinking clearly, but the look of pure determination in those green eyes was all he needed. He nodded at Dean and his brother nodded back, jaw clenched.

Castiel took Mary in his arms carefully and laid her down on the floor besides Dean. He took Dean's trembling left hand and placed it over Mary's wound next to his own hand, then took Dean's right hand in his own. That way the circle was complete, the three of them were connected.

"Just relax, Dean. I'll do it for you."

Sam simply stayed there, pressing on his brother chest with his bloodied hands and watching the scene taking place in front of his eyes as if it had nothing to do with him. As if his brother and mother's lives weren't at stake.

Dean closed his eyes and tried to ignore the pain and the cold he was feeling, focusing on breathing. Soon he felt himself relax…


	6. Chapter 6

**LOOSE ENDS**

**chapter 6**

* * *

A/N: First of all thank you to all the readers and reviewers. It's funny, you make Dean bleed and... puff!... reviews multiply! Don't worry, more hurt!dean ahead ;-) Please read and tell me what you think.

* * *

The second time he woke up everything was different.

First of all he woke up slowly, in stages.

He was sooo comfortable he didn't want to open his eyes. Everything was soft and smooth and warm around him. Dean felt safe and didn't want to lose that feeling.

And he wasn't alone.

He could feel another presence on the bed (well, he assumed it was a bed). It was warm, and that person was stroking his hair gently, murmuring comfort words that he couldn't understand, singing to him…

The tune seemed familiar but he couldn't put a finger on its name. He found the answer buried among all the memories that had been resurfacing lately. He identified the song and he felt himself smiling.

Mom.

_You are my sunshine my only sunshine  
you make me happy when skies are gray.  
You'll never know dear how much I loved you  
Please don´t take my sunshine away._

She kept humming the song and caressing him, and she smelt of cookies and shampoo, and her hands were soft and… he didn't want to wake up or move and find out he was still in some filthy motel's room, laying on the floor, bleeding, while his mother was dying.

But it seemed so real. He felt more awake, and he's suddenly aware of the pang of pain that comes with every breath. The pain was getting more real too; it was growing, expanding from his chest to all the nerve endings of his body. He could feel his breathing quickening and he knew it was time to wake up.

Mary was abruptly startled by the sudden change in her son. He was suddenly restless and he was starting to hyperventilate. He was in pain and waking up, and there was not much for her to do apart from being there for him.

Dean opened his eyes, his glazed expression showing the pain he was enduring.

He saw his mom hovering over him. Blonde locks of hair cascading over his face. A mixed expression of sadness, worry and absolute love in her eyes.

"Mom… you okay?"

She laughed through tears, while she distractedly pushed aside a lock of her hair. Dean was the one badly hurt, and the first thing he did after waking up was asking if _she_ was okay. Mary wanted to be mad at her son. Really. But she found out that she couldn't. She shook her head, disbelieving.

"I'm fine, and that's thanks to you."

*

*

*

"We have to take him to a hospital.

Sam was pacing in the motel's parking lot, in front of Castiel who was patiently watching the younger Winchester.

He had stitched Dean up the best he could. The bullet had entered his chest (on the right side thank to God…) and had left a nasty exit wound on his back. After cauterizing both wounds with gunpowder as his dad had taught them, he had stitched them up. He was worried about the wheezing and coughing, possible sign of some sort of damage in his lung. Thankfully he hadn't been coughing up blood.

"No."

He stopped pacing and glanced at Castiel.

"What do you mean with _no_? He's hurt, he could die…"

"He's going to be fine."

"How can you be so sure??"

"I _know_ he's going to be fine."

"But you couldn't heal him…He can't heal himself…"

"You have to understand that Dean is… unique. He's not an angel in a human vessel like me or an ordinary human, he's… different. I don't know how his grace works. He was able to help me heal your mother but neither of us, him or me, can cure him. But you have to trust me when I tell you that he's going to be okay. He is healing fast, I can tell you that. I _know_ it. Trust me, Sam."

Sam was silent for a few seconds, trying to decide if he should trust Castiel or not. Thinking about it, if there was some kind of expert in his brother "situation" that would be an angel. And he had saved his mother, and tried to save Dean too… Maybe he owned Cass that...

He looked at Castiel and nodded at him, and the angel visibly relaxed.

"One more thing. We have to leave as soon as possible."

"What?? Are you nuts?! We can't move him… he can't travel like that…he… he's lost too much blood…"

"Sam", the angel interrupted calmly. "You said you trusted me. You have to trust me in this too. Demons are hot on your heels. You have to keep moving and get to Bobby's soon. Your brother will be okay."

"Aren't you coming with us?"

"I can't. I'm expending too much time with you, my superiors aren't very… _happy_ with that. I'll get in contact with you soon."

And with that he simply vanished.

*

*

*

Dean was barely conscious by the time they got him into the car. Sam laid him down on the back seat, his head on Mary's lap. They covered him with blankets to keep him warm and avoid shock. They had bandaged his wound and given him some antibiotics and Tylenol for the fever, but that was all they could do for him. After making sure his brother was comfortable enough, he closed the door and walked around the car to the driver's side.

Sam sat behind the wheel. He glanced at his brother through the rear-view mirror, noting his appearance: the dark circles under his eyes, the paleness of his face, the flushed cheeks, the constant frown that let him know Dean was in pain… He looked so fragile and **weak**…

"_Because you're too __**weak**__ to go after her, Dean! You're holding me back! I'm a better hunter than you are. Stronger, smarter… I can take out demons you are too scared to go near! (…) You're too busy sitting around and feeling sorry for yourself, whining about the souls you tortured in Hell… "_

Sam shook his head, trying to get ridden of the guilt and despair that memory caused. He focused on driving instead.

It was very early, dawn was breaking and none of them had slept much since the demon's little visit had woken them up. They would get to Bobby's in a few hours, before night if he hurried.

*

*

*

Dean had been sleeping for hours, getting the so much needed rest. Mary was distractedly staring out the window at the green landscape, while she tenderly ran her hand through her son's hair.

She watched the barely changing scenery in front of her. Grass, tree, fence, another tree, a house!, more grass, another tree, another fence… The boring monotony was kind of relaxing.

The sun, the soft rumble of the car, the heat and the now steady rhythm of Dean's breathing were the perfect combination for a good sleep. And she needed it, but she simply couldn't.

Mary looked down at her eldest son and realized that he looked younger in his sleep. More like the little boy she remembered. The sun shone on Dean's face, highlighting his already fair hair. She noticed too the lack of perspiration and the almost peaceful expression.

She touched his forehead and looked up.

"His fever is going down."

Sam looked at her through the rear-view mirror, hope and relief sparkling in his eyes.

"You sure?"

She nodded happily and continued coddling Dean.

Sam couldn't help feeling a sharp pang of jealousy…

"Sammy…" It felt weird to her calling him that, he wasn't precisely small.

"Yeah?"

"Tell me about Bobby."

Now that Dean was showing signs of getting better as Castiel had promised, Mary was able to focus on something else.

Sam frowned, thinking hard. Bobby. What is he like?

"Well… He's family, you know? We met him when I was around 2 or 3, so Dean was probably 6 or 7… Dad needed his help on a hunt."

"So, he is a hunter too?"

"Not exactly… I suppose he's our go-to guy. He knows lots of stuff about everything, he has an awesome book collection and he knows everyone in the business. His house is like some sort of headquarters you could say. The closest thing to a home we had while growing up…"

Mary looked out of the window, feeling guilty.

"You'll like him, Mom. He's a good guy. Almost like a…" He shut up guiltily. _Like a father,_ he was about to say.

"You'll like him." He repeated.

*

*

*

It was getting dark when they finally arrived to Bobby's salvage yard. Dean had slept during the whole journey. He didn't wake when they stopped for food or when Sam made him drink water, worried about heatstrokes and dehydration.

Bobby heard his dogs and stepped out in the porch as the Impala made herself heard. He took off his cap and scratched his scalp before putting it on again.

He hated summer.

When he saw the black Chevy approaching he walked down the steps of the house and waited for the car to stop.

The driver's door shot open, and Bobby was surprised to see Sam and not Dean getting out.

Sam walked up to him, hunched, hands in his pockets, eyes down.

"Sam, where's your brother?"

"In the back seat, with mom."

"And why…?"

"He's hurt, I need your help to get him out."

"Oh shit…"

Bobby hurried towards the back of the car, Sam on his heels. And stopped abruptly when he was met with Mary Winchester's beautiful face staring at him from the other side of the glass.

He was stunned for a few seconds, before his eyes focused on Dean's unconscious form.

"Okay, let's do this."

Sam opened the door and let Mary out. She stayed behind letting the two men help Dean.

When Bobby was about to drag Dean out of the car he woke up, confused.

"What?... Where?"

"We are at Bobby's, Dean. We were trying to get you inside the house."

"What? No way… I can do it myself, I'm not a freaking baby…"

Sam smiled half amused half relieved at his brother's antics. It was clear he was feeling much better, but he doubted his ability to walk all the way to Bobby's by himself.

He succeed in sitting up without falling over after a few tries, but the effort let him sweating and panting and clearly in pain.

Sam made a move to help him up.

"Give me a minute… I can do it."

Bobby glanced at Sam, worried.

"Dean…", he started.

"I said I'll do it!"

Mary knew it was her turn to act.

She approached the car and crouched in front of her son.

"Dean, let them help you. It's late and we are all tired and hungry. I don't know about you, but your brother surely needs a shower. Can we get inside now?"

Dean looked at her, and then at Sam and Bobby, weighing his options. He was too damn tired to argue.

He clenched his jaw and sighed.

"Okay, help me up."

*

*

*

Once Dean was comfortably settled, and while Sam was having a shower, Bobby decided it was time to meet Mary.

He found her sitting on the stairs, face buried in her hands. She looked exhausted.

"Drink this, it'll do you good."

She took the beer from his hands and took a long gulp. She cleaned her mouth with her hand and smiled up at Bobby.

"Holy water, huh?"

Bobby shrugged.

"I have to look out for the boys, you know?"

"I understand."

They were silent for a few seconds, before Mary spoke again.

"You know, my father used to do the same thing. With the beer I mean. He was very suspicious of strangers."

"Wise man."

She nodded.

He didn't know why, but he trusted Mary. And he liked her immediately. He could see parts of Dean's personality in her (well, more like parts of Mary in Dean). He could understand too what John had seen in her.

"So what happened to Dean?"

"Demon."

"A demon shot him? Well, that's not their usual MO…"

"He wanted to prove something. He showed up last night…"

"Wait, wait, wait. What do you mean with last night? That's impossible! I've seen his wounds… they're almost healed… They must be a week old at least…"

Mary sighed and patted the step she was sitting on, inviting Bobby to sit with her.

"Bobby, we have to talk…"

*

*

*


	7. Chapter 7

**LOOSE ENDS**

**Chapter 7**

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the delay!!! And thanks for your reviews! I'm not very happy with this chapter. Tell me what you think, ok?

Peace ;-)

* * *

Bobby gulped the remaining beer and stood up while Mary watched him from the stairs.

- "I need something stronger. You?"

Mary simply nodded and followed Bobby into the kitchen, sitting down in one of the old wooden chairs.

Bobby poured himself a glass of whiskey and did the same for Mary. After putting the glasses on the table he sat down heavily across from her.

Running his hand over his face he tried to put his thoughts in order.

- "So… an angel?"

Mary nodded.

He snorted and shook his head.

-"Unbelievable…", he mumbled.

*

*

*

Dean fell asleep almost as soon as he was settled in the center of the bed. There was this mixture of woodsmoke and gun-oil weighing down the air that always reminded him of Bobby's. He used to share that same bed with Sammy.

"_Don't let the bedbugs bite you Sammy". And Sammy didn't sleep 'til Bobby made sure the sheets were properly salt 'n burned…_

Sam had tucked him in like a baby and, if he hadn't been already unconscious by then, he would have told him to fuck off.

He fell asleep as soon as his head touched the bed, but it was a restless sleep. He wouldn't stop fidgeting and moaning in his fevered state, the already sweat dampered sheets twisted around his legs. He was so out of it he didn't realize he wasn't alone in the room.

*

*

*

The shower curtain opened and Sammy came out surrounded by a cloud of steam. Holly crap, Mom was right, he really needed that shower.

He felt clean, refreshed and rested.

With a towel around his waist he decided to take a look at Dean, he didn't like leaving him alone for too long. Apparently geniuses thought alike, cause he run into Bobby and Mary outside Dean's room. Bobby raised an eyebrow noticing the towel and… well, only a towel because that was all he was wearing, so that was what he noticed. Sam felt suddenly self-conscious and crossed his arms over his chest, blushing under his mother amused stare.

Without warning, a crashing sound and a scream came from behind the wooden door and they froze in place for a second before opening the door.

Bobby couldn't believe the scene in front of him, he had never seen something like it before. Sam was familiar with it but that didn't make it less surprising.

There stood Dean, pale, on shaking legs, sweating and trembling, breathing ragged. One arm protecting his wounded chest, the other one on a demon's forehead. The same demon that had tried to kill him and Mary in the motel.

Rays of light were coming from its eyes and mouth as it was shaking hard. Its body was almost limp, it looked like Dean's hand was the only thing keeping the demon from falling.

Suddenly everything was over. The light vanished, the demon's vessel fell unconscious to the floor and Dean fell flat on his ass, completely exhausted.

Bobby gaped, unable to form words.

Sam was the first to speak.

"Did he…?"

"Yes, he did."

His brother had just exorcised a demon.

Angry at the lack of reaction from both men, Mary ran to her son and tried to help him back to the bed. Bobby woke up from his reverie and helped her. He put his arm around Dean's waist and Mary did the same from the other side. At the count of three they put him on shakily feet, earning a grunt from Dean, and laid him down on the bed. He grunted again as he tried to adjust his position. Sam tried not to hover, failing.

When Dean was finally settled, Sam approached.

Dean saw him and smirked, closing his eyes in pain.

"Nice outfit, Hulk."

"Can't you be serious for a minute, Dean? You've just… just…"

The older brother opened his eyes and looked at Sam seriously, and strangely calm.

"I know."

A wet cloth had miraculously appeared from nowhere and Mary applied it to Dean's forehead, getting a contented sigh in return.

"Mom, you're awesome."

She smiled back and perched herself on the bed besides his son. Bobby removed Dean's blood-soaked bandage and cursed under his breath. He pressed on the wound with a clean bandage and his patient let out a muffled cry of pain.

"Bobby, you're not so awesome."

"How did you do it Dean?"

Bobby looked at the younger brother.

"Sam, this is not…"

"I don't know Sammy. It was a reflex. But instead of reaching for mi knife I…"

"You exorcised it with your hand."

Dean shrugged, regretting it instantly. Sam's attention turned to Bobby.

"How did that demon get into the house, Bobby? Isn't it supposed to be protected?"

"Stop there boy! Of course it is protected! You know it! But we don't know what kind of evil we are facing here…"

"Well, clearly it isn't protected enough!"

"Okay, that's enough!"

Mary's outburst surprised the three men. Even Dean opened his eyes to see what was going on, and closed them again as soon as he saw the danger.

"Both of you leave now!"

"But…"

"Mom…"

"I said leave! I don't care if this is your house, Bobby. You're doing no good to Dean now. So leave and cool off. Now!"

She glanced at them threatenly.

"Don't make me say it twice! And take that poor guy with you."

Both men left the room in silence, closing the door behind them.

Mary sighed and closed her eyes, thankful for the silence. She heard a choking sound and looked down at Dean, scared. He kept his eyes closed and he was making those weird sounds and convulsing.

It took her the longest fifteen seconds of her life to see that he was trying hard not to laugh in her face. He opened an eye, and when he saw her mother's face he burst out laughing. Well, laughing and moaning n pain.

-"That… was… priceless…"

Mary hit him in the shoulder.

"Dean Winchester! You scared me!"

"Sorry Mom."

"Try to get some sleep, okay?"

She kissed his son's forehead and stood up, walking up to the door.

"Mom?"

She turned, hand on the doorknob.

"Yeah?"

"Are you gonna spank them?"

He was laughing out loud now. And when Mary closed the door she could hear a strange mixture of giggling and moaning inside the door.

*

*

*

Mary found her youngest sitting in Bobby's library, surrounded by books.

"Where's Bobby?"

"Putting that guy in a cab to send him home."

She nodded and sat down across from Sam.

"Look Sammy, I'm sorry for shouting at you before."

Sam shook his head.

"No, you were right. It wasn't the moment. I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

Bobby chose that moment to walk through the door. He stopped at the doorstep and leant casually on the wall, watching the Winchesters.

"How is Dean?"

They both looked up at him, but they knew the question was directed to Mary.

"I don't know Bobby. He seems strangely … calm. He's joking around, as if he was confident this is not such a big deal."

"You've noticed that too, huh?"

"That's weird. Pain usually makes him cranky", Sammy supplied.

Bobby nodded, absorbing all the information-

"Do you think he knows something we don't?"

"Nah… He seems as confused as we are."

*

*

*

Dean found himself in a kitchen. It took him a minute to recognize the place, but as soon as he did he knew he was dreaming. He was in their old house in Lawrence and the kitchen was just like he remembered it. He was sitting at the round dining table, which was waaaaaay smaller than he remembered, with a plate of chocolate chip cookies in front of him.

Smiling to himself he took one of the cookies and sniffed before puttingit in…

"Dean."

The cookie fell to the floor and looked at it sadly before turning angrily to Castiel.

"Cas, man… That was one of Grandma's chocolate cookies! I haven't eaten one of those in decades!"

But the angel was all business.

"Dean, we have to talk."

"Ok, spit it."

Castiel looked confused by his choice of words.

"Speak."

"You have to leave now."

"Again? But we just got here…"

"I'm afraid you don't understand. You have to leave. Alone."

"What??"

"You know they are after you. They almost killed your mother. And tonight, everybody could've been killed. There's no need to put them in danger. And they are slowing you down."

*

*

*

In the morning Bobby made breakfast and Mary decided to take some to Dean.

She found the bed empty. A few blood stains were the only traces that Dean left behind.

*

*

*


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8**

**By Riama**

A/N: Somebody pointed out a little mistake I made in "The Visitor". The flashback where Mary met Castiel should take place in 1978 and not 1977 as I wrote, cause Dean was born in '79. That was completely my fault, as once again my weird weird _weird_ brain mixed reality and fiction and used Jensen Ackles' year of birth. So, please, ignore that little slip and try to enjoy the rest of the story.

For extras check my LJ.

Sorry this chapter is so short.

Thanks for reading/reviewing/adding-to-favorites! Constructive criticism is always welcome!

* * *

Mary and Bobby sat in the living room, worry evident on their faces.

Sam walked in, causing Mary to glance up quickly.

"Anything?"

The younger Winchester shook his head sadly.

"He took the Impala. He probably left hours ago, he could be anywhere. And he left his cell behind." Sam held up the phone for effect, before placing it on a near table.

"But", Bobby interrupted, "He was hurt. He couldn't have made it too far in that condition."

"He was healing fast Bobby. You saw it. And if my son is anything like John, being hurt wouldn't stop him."

"But why did he leave? What if they have him? Do you think Cas…?"

Sam's ramblings where interrupted by his cell's ringing. A look at the flashing screen and he knew he had to take the call.

"I have to take this."

He went outside and waited til he was a good ten feet from the house to answer the phone.

He hated this situation. He was doing nothing wrong and he hated feeling like a teenager hiding from his parents to smoke. Dean and Bobby couldn't understand, but there wasn't time to wait for them to do so. He was doing nothing wrong after all, right?

Sam flipped his cell open.

"Ruby?! Where are you?"

*

*

*

"I can't take this anymore, Bobby. Not knowing if he is even alive…"

"Don't even say it Mary. I'm sure he is fine. And I'm pretty sure those winged idjits have something to do with it."

They were silent for a moment.

"Can I ask you something?"

Bobby nodded.

"You know about that demon that tried to push us out of the road on our way here, right?"

"Yep, Sam told me."

"Something… _strange_ happened."

That got Bobby's interest.

"What was it?"

"That demon… he seemed scared of Sammy."

When the older hunter simply stared at her she got worried.

"You don't seem surprised."

"I'm not."

_That _surprised Mary.

"I'm sure you know what happened the night you… well, you… you…"

"I died?"

Bobby grimaced and nodded.

"If you mean what the demon did to Sammy the answer is yes. I was there. And Sam told me about his… _abilities_, and he is worried."

"He told you he was worried?"

"Yeah."

"It seems it's easier for him to open up to you. Dean's been worried sick about Sam going dark side, you know? He suspects he's been working on his… _abilities_ as you called them. And he's especially worried about that friend of Sam's…. that demon…"

"Wait, he is friends with a demon??"

"Yeah, Ruby. I don't understand how he can trust her, but he claims she's been helping him. With what? I'm not sure I want to know…"

*

*

*

Unable to fight the waves of nausea that had been plaguing him for the last few miles, Dean stopped the car on the side of the road and made his way out hastily, landing unceremoniously on his knees. And he vomited. After he was sure that he was done, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and sat down, back resting against the car. He closed his eyes and breathed through his nose, trying to control the nausea.

He opened them again and looked up. Dark clouds were approaching fast. It was dark. It was barely midday and it looked like dusk. And it was getting colder too. He closed his thin jacket around himself, regretting leaving his leather jacket behind.

"Storm is coming."

Dean almost fell to the ground, startled. He grabbed his chest as he looked at the stranger in front of him.

"What the hell?! Who are you?!"

"Watch your mouth boy."

The petite woman standing in front of him didn't look a day younger than 90, and if her sudden appearance wasn't weird enough, her looks did it. Denim shorts, flip-flops and a T-shirt with a bikini printed on it weren't the most appropriate outfit for an elderly person.

She removed her sunglasses and left them casually resting on her white short hair.

"My name is Hamied. I'm angel of the Lord."

Dean rolled his eyes at her. Wasn't that getting old…

"Look… Hamied…" He said as he tried to rearrange his position against the car. He could get up, but he was still pretty sore and needed a few minutes before even thinking of standing.

"You can call me Ham", she said happily.

He looked up at the angel warily.

"Really??"

"Look Dean, because of my job I've spent more time in Earth than the rest of my siblings…"

"And what job is that?"

"I'm the angel of miracles."

"And what are you doing here?"

"Castiel asked me to keep an eye on you, as I was _in the neighborhood_ as you would say." She winked at him.

"You're a weird angel, you know?"

"I've been called worse."

Dean braced himself to get up then. Using one arm to push himself up from the dirty road and the other one protecting his chest, he tried to stand but failed miserably.

"Need a hand with that?"

He looked up at the tiny decrepit woman, offended by the idea of _her _helping _him_.

"No!"

Dean tried to pull himself to his feet again, and once again he fell flat on his ass with a grunt of pain. He was sweating like a pig. Weak, feverish and in pain. And the ground wasn't so uncomfortable after all…

"Oh, for God's sake…"

Ham approached and, wrapping an arm around his shoulders, helped him up easily.

"Wow! You are… surprisingly strong!"

"And you are unsurprisingly dense! After all you've seen, you dare to underestimate us?"

She gave Dean a minute to adjust himself and stop swaying.

"Ready to go?"

Dean nodded.

"Why aren't you using your angel mojo?"

She raised her eyebrow questionly.

"Teleport me Spock." He said with a smirk.

"With a 67 Impala here? Are you kidding?"

He gave her an incredulous.

She beamed without taking her eyes from the car.

"Can I drive it?"

*

*

*

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Click here ;-)

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	9. Chapter 9

**LOOSE ENDS**

**_Chapter 9_**

**by Riama**

* * *

A/N: Sorry this chapter is so short but I felt I had to leave it there. Next one will be longer, I promise ;-)

Thanks to readers/reviewers!!!

As always, constructive criticism is welcome! Remember I'm not a English native speaker (or is it native English speaker? )

* * *

Sam couldn't help but feeling a little guilty after lying to Mary and Bobby. He needed to see Ruby. He really needed it. And he couldn't tell them the truth; they would probably freak out and tell him how wrong it was. But it wasn't wrong, they wouldn't understand and he didn't have to give them any explanations after all, right? He was doing nothing wrong.

He had taken one of Bobby's cars and was waiting for Ruby at a near gas station.

He looked at his watch for what seemed the tenth time. Where was she?

"Missed me?"

He turned around and faced Ruby, who was smirking at him.

"Where were you??"

She held out her hands defensively.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa… Impatient much?"

Sam ran a hand through his hair, showing how nervous he was.

"Sorry."

"Well, I heard Mommy is back. Is that true?"

"What have you heard?"

Crossing her arms she smiled.

"Not much… Mary is back, Dean is the chosen one, demons want to kill him…"

"So, every demon is after him?"

She seemed to be considering his question before giving her answer.

"Yep. Pretty much."

"Great…"

"So… you thirsty?"

*****

*****

*****

Dean sat in the Impala, arms crossed over his chest, head resting on the window. The cold glass relieved the heat emanating from his forehead.

He glanced at the driver's seat, where Hamied sat, tiny hands grabbing the driving wheel tightly. She was stretching her neck in order to see over the car's dashboard and Dean wondered if the angel could see the road over the wheel. Despite everything the old woman seemed to be enjoying herself.

"Where are we going?"

"A safe place."

He was about to reply that Bobby's house was safe, when he remembered his encounter with the demon the night before.

"Can you be more specific?"

"A place where you can recuperate and learn to use your grace before the day of the great fight arrives."

"Great fight?"

"Dean vs Lucifer."

"Oh, _that _fight…"

Suddenly he felt really tired. Too tired to worry about his destiny. Too tired to worry about where Ham was taking him too. Too tired to think about those who he had left behind.

Last days had been pretty intense and he had no clue what was going on with himself.

He looked through the window at the sky above them. And he could have sworn the clouds were moving out of their way as the Impala ran along the grey road. That was his last thought before succumbing to sleep.

*****

*****

*****

When Sam got back to Bobby's he was surprised to find the elder hunter packing various bags and guns in his battered pickup. Bobby watched him getting out the car suspiciously.

The weather was getting colder, and judging by the way the sky was darkening he suspected a storm was coming. He zipped up his jacket and walked up to Bobby, hands in pockets.

"Where have you been Sam?"

"I needed time to think."

Bobby nodded, clearly not believing a word he said. He kept his eyes on Sam's, making clear that he could see trough his lies. Sam was the first to look away, shifting uncomfortable.

"So… where are you going?"

"One of my contacts called. Somebody saw the Impala just outside Pollock. Dean is going north. Take your stuff and be ready to leave in five."

Sam nodded and started jogging towards the house.

"And, Sam?"

He turned. Bobby was busy arranging the truck and didn't look up at him.

"Make sure you clean that blood stain from your shirt before your mom sees it."

Sam felt color draining from his face but didn't reply. He started walking away, but slower this time.

*****

*****

*****

**A/N: Well... what do you think? **

*****

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	10. Chapter 10

**LOOSE ENDS**

**chapter 10**

**by Riama**

* * *

A/N: The story Bobby tells in this chapter was taken from one of the Supernatural Comics (Rising Son #3) so I guess it's canon.

* * *

Somehow, Ham had managed to get Dean into the house without waking him up. All by herself. And just in time to avoid the great storm they were currently immersed in.

She had taken him to an old, abandoned wooden cabin in the middle of nowhere. It was surrounded by huge oak and willow trees, making of the cabin the best hiding spot. From the main road it was completely hidden among the trees.

She removed his shoes and jacket, tucked him into bed and closed the door as she left the room.

As she walked along the corridor the lights flickered and a thunder was heard. And she smiled.

Castiel was waiting for her in the small cabin's living room/kitchen/office. He was looking around with curiosity.

"Hello brother."

He turned his attention to Hamied.

"I like your…. attire." He said, staring at her t-shirt and shorts.

"No, you don't."

"It's obnoxious."

Hamied shrugged.

"I had to blend in."

That seemed to be enough explanation for Castiel.

"Thank you for taking care of Dean."

"Don't mention it. We are all on the same team after all."

Castiel looked away.

"Or maybe not… What's going on Castiel?"

"I don't understand the orders that were given to me."

Hamied frowned at the angel's apparent confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"Dean is supposed to be the one to destroy Lucifer. And that's… something big for us."

She nodded, encouraging him to continue.

"Then they should be doing the impossible to help him with his task, am I right'?"

She nodded again.

"Well, our superiors aren't being very helpful."

"They aren't being very helpful… or they aren't helping at all?"

Castiel looked away again.

"Castiel… who ordered you to take Dean away from his family?"

Her brother looked at her in the eye and no words were needed. She smiled.

"It was you idea, right? You wanted to keep them safe and help Dean."

Cas nodded, embarrassed.

"I'm proud of you, Castiel. You're thinking by yourself! Finally!"

Castiel started pacing around the small room.

"But we shouldn't think. We should have blind faith and obey."

"You should have blind faith in God, and only in Him. We all know that something weird is going on up there. And it's been like that for a while. I don't trust every word I hear, and you should do the same."

Cas stopped dead on his tracks and looked at Hamied, shocked.

"But… that's sacrilege! You're saying you don't believe in…"

"I believe in Our Father, Castiel. I love Him and I'll follow Him blindly to Hell if necessary! But I don't trust those douches that claim to be transmitting His word. And if I'm not wrong…"

She walked up to him and, raising her hand to her brother's face, she looked into his eyes.

"… You feel the same way."

*

*

*

Crowded. That word described perfectly the situation inside Bobby's truck. The three hunters were squeezed on the truck's only seat. Bobby was driving, and Mary sandwiched between him and Sam.

Mary could feel the tension between Bobby and her son. They were both silent and the situation was awkward. Sam was looking through the window. Bobby too concentrated on driving. And she suspected it had something to do with that Ruby girl.

"So… Bobby. How did you meet my boys?"

Bobby glanced at Mary and then at Sam, still angry at the young hunter.

"It was a long time ago. Dean was about …9 and Sammy here couldn't be older than 4…"

"I was 5."

Bobby ignored him and kept going.

"John and the boys were running from a demon I think. That thing was after Sam…"

Sam's head snapped up, surprised. His greenish eyes looking across the vehicle at Bobby, seeking confirmation.

"You didn't know?"

Sam shook his head, suddenly interested in what Bobby had to say.

"You two stayed with me for a couple of days while your dad went hunting."

He smiled at the memory.

"I remember John telling me about how you liked school, how bright you were, how _special_… I remember Dean asking your daddy to take him on the hunt. Claiming that if it had to do with Sammy he had to be there… "

Bobby's eyes clouded.

"One morning he took Dean deer hunting. They went to a little forest a few miles from my yard. He left you at home, asleep. I don't how it happened… In the morning I went up to wake you up for breakfast and you were gone. Imagine my surprise when an hour later your dad showed up with you and your bro. Somehow you ran away and found them. All by yourself. And you…"

Sam was looking down at his hands when he spoke.

"I shot a deer. I killed it. It was about to attack Dean…I… I wanted to help him."

Bobby nodded.

"Then you remember!" said Mary.

He glanced at her mother, confused and sad.

"I thought it had been a dream…"

"Do you remember how you got there?"

"No."

They stayed silent for a few minutes. Sam, trying to digest the new information; Mary, wondering how many times her children had been in danger in the course of their lives; and Bobby… well, he guessed Sam probably remembered more than he let out…

"Well, that was the first of many visits..." He concluded.

*

*

*

Dean woke up to the sound of his own stomach rumbling. He was starving. The last thing he had eaten was rotting in a puddle on the side of highway 12.

He cleaned the drool from his chin as he looked around the room trying to guess where the hell he was.

He was in a simple room. Walls, ceiling and floor were plain wood, accented with an native-American rug and drapelike curtains. The decoration was plain: a bed, a night table, a dresser and a chair were the only pieces of furniture in the room (all made of wood, of course). But the worst thing was yet to come: he was startled by the sight of the ugliest lamp ever hanging from a beam just above his head. He fought the urged to salt and burn the strange mixture of deer horns and golden chains.

Dean scowled at the fugly lamp and sat up slowly, wincing as the sudden movement pulled the stitches on his chest and back. It hurt less than before, but he needed at least a couple of Tylenol and a cup of coffee to start function as a human being again.

Propped up on his left hand, he scratched his face unconsciously, noticing for the first time the three-day stubble growing there.

Sitting on the edge of the bed he rested his feet on the floor and tried to stand up, only to fall back again hit by a wave of dizziness. He felt weak, sore, hungry and he needed coffee; and that particular combination of factors made him cranky.

"_No coffee or food makes Dean a dull boy…"._

He tried to stand up again and… success! He smiled to himself, sadly proud of his little victory, and made his way slowly to the door and outside.

He closed the door softly, trying to be as quiet as possible and turned slowly.

"Good morning little grasshopper! Ready for the first lesson?"

Dean jumped. He literally jumped, startled by Ham's happy good morning.

"What the H…?"

"Tsk tsk tsk… No bad words in this house, mister."

Dean looked down at the tiny old woman, eyebrow raised.

"Sorry, sometimes when I get in character… So, hungry?"

He simply nodded, speechless.

Dean followed Hamied along the short corridor to the living room. She motioned to him to sit down at the dining table while she went to the kitchen. He used that moment to inspect his surroundings. The cabin was really small, the kitchen/living room was not much bigger that the bedroom and it was obviously decorated by the same genius. All was wood around him. Wood and warm colors. He had to admit it was kinda cozy.

Hamied appeared a couple of minutes later with a steaming cup of coffee and a couple of Tylenols. She winked at him.

"I'll be right back with food."

He opened his mouth to reply but he changed his mind. He took the pills and a sip of coffee, and closed his eyes enjoying the hot drink.

"This stuff is great."

Ham appeared again, grinning, and placed a big plate of pancakes in front of him.

"Blueberry. I think you'll like them", she commented as she sat down.

Dean took a piece of pancake and put it into his mouth, closing his eyes in appreciation.

Ham looked at him amused. Humans were so weird.

"I take you like'em."

"This…" he said spitting pieces of pancake "this is like a piece of…"

"Heaven?"

He nodded, attacking the pancakes again.

"So, do you feel any different now that you have a grace?"

Dean stopped munching and looked up at her, surprised by her being so straightforward. He shrugged and kept eating.

"Sorry. I'm just … curious. How your grace works is quite a mystery for us."

He swallowed the pancake in his mouth and spoke, clearly annoyed.

"So I am an experiment. I'm your… guinea pig?"

Hamied seemed to be considering the question.

"I guess you could say so."

"Awesome."

He resumed eating his breakfast (he wasn't as hungry as he had thought) and left the fork on the table, all his attention focused on Ham.

"So… what do I have to do now? Move things with my mind? Make windows explode? Use the force?"

"Close your eyes."

"What?"

"Close your eyes. You're still pretty weak. Let's try something easy for now."

"Okaaay…"

He did as he was told, doubting Ham's intentions.

"Okay, now think of a place that is relaxing and comfortable to you…"

"C'mon! Are you kidding me?!"

"Dean…"

"Okay, okay… Eyes closed."

"As I was saying think of a place that's relaxing to you, comfortable, familiar… safe. Somewhere where you feel protected, happy. It may take you a while to find it. Tell me when you are there."

"I'm there."

Hamied looked him surprised. That was fast.

Dean found himself thinking about the Impala. Hell, he had spent half of his life in that car with his dad and brother, he had travelled around the country in that car, he had even lived in that car!

"Okay, now try to focus on it with your senses. How does it smell? How does it feel? Are there any sounds there?"

Dean smiled. His baby smelled of leather and gunpowder, she roared like a panther and she was smooth to the touch. The seats were well-worn and comfortable.

"Okay. Now open your eyes."

Dean did so.

"Shit!"

He was _in_ the Impala. He touched the seats, the windows even himself to check it was real. He looked at Ham, that was besides him.

"How did you…?"

"It was you. I merely guided you here." She looked around. "So, this is your happy place? It's a great car, I won't deny that, but…"

"I adore this car. Driving it is…I love driving this car."

"If you adore driving it, why are we in the back seat?"

*

*

*

*

*

**Okay… question for you now. Why are they in the back seat?**


	11. Chapter 11

**LOOSE ENDS**

**Chapter 11**

**by Riama**

* * *

**A/N: The answer to last chapter's question (Why were Ham and Dean in the back seat?) is because Dean's happiest moments took place in that seat with Sam when they were kids. That's his safe place with his dad was behind the wheel. So ohgravitysonfire is the winner! And the rest of you ... tsk tsk ....you have really dirty minds... What's wrong with you people??? (Just kidding, I would think the same thing ;-)**

**Sorry I couldn't reply to your comments like I usually do, but has been having problems all day.**

**Next chapter may take a while. I'm going on holidays on Saturday. I'll try updating before then but I might not have time.**

**Now read, enjoy and review!**

**Peace**

* * *

Shooting a look at the gas station outside, Bobby removed his cap and scratched his head. Damned heat was making him all sweaty. He knew he would be much more comfortable without it but he felt naked without his omnipresent cap.

It had stopped raining, but judging by the heat and the thundery darkness above, the storm wasn't over yet.

He was sitting in the truck by himself. Windows rolled down, trying to get as much fresh air as possible. But it wasn't helping. It was even hotter outside. At first he thought it would be a good idea to go out to stretch his legs, but when the first drops of rain started falling he opted for waiting for Sam and Mary in the car.

They were barely two miles outside Pollock, where his contact had said the Impala had been seen last. Luckily a car like that wasn't very usual, so if somebody had seen her around they would probably remember.

He couldn't help being angry at Sam for being so stupid. So fuckingly stupid.

What the hell was he thinking?

The kid had been hunting things like Ruby, _evil _things, all his life. He should know better than that. He's supposed to be the smart one.

And the blood on his shirt? He doesn't really wanna know…

Stupid pigheaded Winchesters…

*

*

*

Mary hadn't smoked pot in years, but she'd recognized the signs anywhere. And the kid behind the counter was high as a kite.

The first clue was his reaction at seeing Sam. _Wow… you're big! Can you touch the clouds?_

She suspected he wasn't going to be very helpful.

Sam sighed and resolved to be patient. He asked again.

"Have you seen a big black muscle car around?"

"What color?"

Sam sighed again and closed his eyes.

"Black…"

"Big or small?"

"Big."

"A what?"

"A fucking car!"

The kid flinched and took a step back, away from Sam's wrath.

Mary rested a hand on Sam's arm.

"Let me try Sammy."

He nodded and let her mother do the job.

She smiled sweetly and the kid smiled back. She looked at his nametag.

"Spike?"

The boy nodded.

"Spike…Excuse my son, he's having an awful day…"

Spike snorted.

"Your son? Right…"

And Mary realized for the first time that not only she was only a couple of years older that Sam, she was in fact younger than Dean. Creepy…

"He's my husband's son. Long story."

Spike nodded.

"Have you seen a big black shiny car around?"

"Nope."

"You sure?"

"Yep."

"Are you talking 'bout the Batmobile?", a small voice asked.

Mary and Sam turned and looked down.

A small boy, not older than five, was looking up at them. He had long brown shaggy hair and was wearing a Batman T-shirt a couple sizes too big.

Mary kneeled in front of him.

"Yeah, the Batmobile. Have you seen it around?"

The boy nodded enthusiastically.

"I told my brother it was the Batmobile but he said it wasn't. He said that Batman wasn't real. And I had to believe him, you know? Because he's older and knows a lot of stuff. He takes care of me so I have to be nice to him even if he's mean to me."

Sam looked down at the boy and smiled. He kneeled besides his mother and spoke.

"In what direction did it go?"

"He went into town."

It wasn't the small boy who replied, but an older one. Taller and with short blond hair. He took his brother's hand and pulled him away.

"You shouldn't talk to strangers Nate…" He was saying as they walked through the door.

Sam and Mary stood up simultaneously and watched the boys leaving. The eldest removed his jacket and covered his brother with it to protect him from the rain. Nate smiled up at his brother and they left.

Mary shot Sam a look.

"Was it like that?"

"What?"

"Dean and you."

He smirked, remembering.

"Pretty much. Yeah."

He put an arm around her shoulders and together left the gas station.

*

*

*

Bobby was watching Mary and Sam through the station's windows while they talked to the storekeeper.

"You should stop looking."

"Fuck!"

Castiel was standing just outside the truck under the rain, looking at Bobby through the window.

"Shit. We need to put a bell on you or something."

"Stop looking for Dean. You won't find him."

"What do you mean?"

"He's safe. He's protected. I've taken care of that."

"And why should I do what you say?"

"If you want to help Dean you should take care of those who want to harm him."

He had been so worried about Sam that hadn't thought about that. Of course demons were after Dean. He was supposed to beat Lucifer. And he would try to defend himself.

"Demons?"

The angel nodded.

"And Ruby should be the first one."

That surprised Bobby.

"Ruby?"

"Yes. You know she's trying to manipulate Sam. She's dangerous. She must be… eliminated."

Bobby snorted. It was like being in the middle of "The Godfather".

"What about Lilith?"

Castiel flinched at the name.

"Don't worry about her for now. Ruby is more dangerous to us at the moment."

Just as Castiel vanished the truck's door opened and Mary sat beside him, soaking wet from the rain.

"Anything?"

"Kid said he saw the Impala going into Pollock. That's all." She said, trying to squeeze the water from her hair.

"Where's Sam?"

"He had to make a call."

Bobby cursed.

Mary looked at him.

"You okay?"

"He's probably calling Ruby."

"You sure?"

He nodded.

"Look, I've been talking to Castiel. Just… try to follow me, ok?"

Mary nodded, not sure what she was agreeing to.

Sam opened the door and sat down with a sigh. He noticed the silence in the car and was instantly suspicious.

"What's going on?"

Mary glanced at Bobby and he spoke.

"I was telling your mom that my contact called again."

Bobby shot Mary a look, and she nodded.

He knew Sam was the quickest way to get to Ruby. She was probably following him, and he was keeping her updated. That was what all those phone calls were about, he was sure. So he was killing two birds with a stone: keeping Ruby away from Dean and cornering the demon with Sam's help.

"Somebody saw the Impala on its way to Great Stone Lake." He hoped that was far enough.

"Minnesota?"

"Yep."

Sam was silent for a moment. Lost in thought. Trying to decide what to do next.

He had just called Ruby to ask her when they could meet again. Nothing wrong with that. If he wanted to help his brother he'd need to be strong. There were demons tracking Dean, demons he could send to Hell easily, demons he could even kill with Ruby's help. He was doing this for his big brother. Yeah, he was doing this for Dean.

He had to call her again. Change the place of their rendezvous. Shit. It would take them a few hours to get to Minnesota. But there was no other option. He'd have to find a excuse to stop again soon and call her.

"Okay. Let's go then."

*

*

*


	12. Chapter 12

**LOOSE ENDS**

**chapter 12**

**by Riama**

* * *

**A/N: I'm sorry for the delay. I went on holidays and when I came back I had a serious case of post-holidays writer's block. I hope you like this chapter, a lot of stuff happens in it. Please, read, anjoy and review!**

**Thanks for reading ;-)**

**Peace!**

* * *

He closed his eyes, inhaling deeply as he tried to blend in his surroundings.

Under the ash sky the wind was blowing softly, cradling the trees' leaves softly and making them hum. Well, sorta. Because, you know, leaves don't hum. In fact they don't make any noise at all.

The humming of the trees, the soft breeze and the rocking of the hammock he was currently sprawled on were enough to relax him. But it didn't.

To say that he felt overwhelmed by the loads of new info he had received in the last few days was an understatement. But he really was. Everything was starting to sink in. And it scared the hell out of him. But of course, he would never admit that. He was Dean Winchester, hunter extraordinaire, prefect soldier/son, awesome big brother, the best lover a woman could wish for, the chosen one to save the world from Lucifer… He sighed, opening his eyes and blinked once, twice, three times before sitting up. He was tired.

Dean sat unmoving in the centre of the hammock, fighting the wave of dizziness that hit him as he did so. He simply sat there, looking down at his feet. Maybe he should've put his boots on, it was starting to get cold outside.

As if she had been reading his mind, Ham appeared in front of him, boots on hand. Grinning like the adorable granny she was not.

When she grinned like that she looked like one of those 150 year-old turtles in Australia.

She left his boots in front of him, but Dean made no move to get them.

He simply stayed there, breathing in the fresh air and looking at her.

"So… now what?"

Ham cocked her head and looked at him, confused. She reminded him of Castiel so much for a second that Dean almost missed him. _Almost_.

"What do you mean?"

"We've been here for how long? A fucking week? Ten days? It's not that I don't appreciate your… _Jedi traning_ or whatever you call it, but I need to do something! I need to… to help! I feel I'm losing my time. And I… I need to see Sam. I need to see my brother. Check he's alright."

Dean shot her a pleading look.

She simply sat down next to him, making the hammock sway slightly.

"Have you ever wondered why you have never been possessed? I mean, your brother has, your father too…"

Dean looked down, remembering that night in that cabin. How he begged his dad not to kill him. Suddenly he was furious. Why had his life to be so complicated? Wasn't being a hunter hard enough?

He stood up and paced while the angel followed him with her eyes. He suddenly stopped in front of her.

"I'm getting tired of all this … oh-you're-so-special crap! I'm tired of doing everything you tell me to do because this is my… my what? My fate? I'm tired of being here preparing myself for something that… that… I need more, Ham! When is this going to happen? Where? If you want me to be a part of this you have to give me more. You have to tell me everything. And I mean it."

Dean stopped talking and stood there, breathing hard. He had needed to let that out.

"Okay."

He raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Okay?"

She nodded.

"You're right. You deserve the whole truth."

"Really? I mean…Yes, I do. Of course I deserve it."

Ham smirked and got up slowly. She smoothed the wrinkles of her t-shirt and looked up at him.

"Okay. Let's go inside before it rains."

*

*

*

Dean sat down at the kitchen's table while Ham rummaged through the cupboards. Whatever she was looking for must've been really well hidden.

Finally, after a "here you are!" cry she reappeared with a huge bottle of scotch and a glass in her hands.

She noticed his skeptical glance.

"You're gonna need something strong. Believe me."

And with that she poured a glass for him and sat down.

"The first thing that you should know is that you were not only chosen to defeat Lucifer, you were chosen to be the first one of a lineage of guardians."

Dean blinked at her. And blinked again, trying to make some sense of her words.

He gulped down the glass of scotch in a fluid motion, thankful for the warmth it provided.

"Excuse me?? Lineage?"

"You'll be the one to defeat Lucifer and lock him away. And it's going to be your responsibility to make sure he remains that way. Yours and your descendants'. Once you lock Lucifer you'll have to guard him. And after you, there will be more guardians. All of them will have your blood."

Dean took the scotch and took a sip directly from the bottle. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and then he laughed.

Ham wasn't expecting that reaction. Humans were really weird.

"What do you find so amusing?"

"Nothing. It's just that your words reminded me of this time with my dad and Sam..." He shook his head, telling her to forget it.

"Tell me about it."

"Well… it isn't amusing at all now that I think of it. I think Sammy was about …eight years old. So I was…twelve. Dad took us to some little town, don't remember the name. He had to drive for like ten hours to get there. I remember I wasn't feeling well when we left, but I didn't tell dad. Didn't want to ruin the hunt. I gotta say spending 10 hours in a car is boring, but if you have to put up with your little brother and you're sick… it plainly sucks.

I only remember the first couple of hours in the car. After that everything is a blur. It turned out I had strep throat and got pretty sick. I scared Dad enough to take me to the hospital. After that Dad called some other hunter to take over the job and he spent a whole week with Sammy and me. We spent the time laying on bed, watching movies, eating ice-cream, playing games, dad taking care of me… And Sammy… he tried to keep me entertained at all costs.

The motel was awful, the room was too small and it reeked, and I felt like crap, but it was one of the best holidays I ever had."

Ham watched him intently.

"And how did my words remind you of that?"

He was disconcerted by her question, but the truth was he couldn't see the relation between Ham's words and his story. _I'm really losing it._

"I have no idea."

"Dean… _Where_ did that happen?"

"Minnesota. Why?"

Hamied smiled knowingly, looking like a 150 year-old turtle again.

*

*

*

Somewhere in Minnesota…

Sam was angrily packing his things. Again. After more than a week looking for Dean where Bobby's contact had told them, there was no trace of his brother. He was starting to doubt Bobby's contact. Hell, he was starting to doubt Bobby. He didn't seem to be taking the search seriously and that was weird.

He had sent Mary and Bobby away to eat something. He would pack their things. No problem.

He called Ruby the minute Bobby closed the door.

There was a knock on the door that stopped him dead on his tracks. He resumed zipping up his bag and went to the door.

"Hey Sam."

"Ruby."

"Anything on your brother?"

He shook his head.

"You?"

"Nothing. Whoever is helping him is doing a dammed good job."

Sam sat down on the bed and buried his face in his hands. He was exhausted.

"I don't know what to do."

Ruby sat down next to him, rubbing a hand up and down his back, trying to comfort him.

"Do we have time?" she asked seductively.

He looked up from his hands, confused.

"I don't know Ruby…"

Then, before he had time to finish the sentence, the door was kicked open and his Mary and Bobby stormed into the room.

Ruby stood up as Mary approached her, furious, holy water in hand.

"You bitch…"

A spurt of holy water made her fall back on the bed and Bobby took the opportunity to put a sack over her head. He cuffed her hands in a practiced movement and pulled a ritual book from his jacket.

She was immobilized by it, and Sam understood why a few seconds later when he noted the symbols painted on it. He recognized a devil's trap straight away, but there were a dozen symbols that he had never seen before.

"_Regna terrae, cantate Deo,  
psallite Domino  
qui fertis super caelum  
caeli ad Orientem  
Ecce dabit voci Suae  
vocem virtutis,  
tribuite virtutem Deo."_

Mary took a dumfounded Sam aside while Bobby performed the exorcism.

_"Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus  
omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio  
infernalis adversarii, omnis legio,  
omnis congregatio et secta diabolica. __"_

Ruby's body started convulsing at that.

"You son of a bitch! You're gonna regret this!"

Sam couldn't take his eyes from Ruby. Something inside of him wanted to stop it. He needed Ruby and they were hurting her. Sam could feel anxiety growing inside of him.

"Ergo draco maledicte  
et omnis legio diabolica adjuramus te.  
cessa decipere humanas creaturas,  
eisque aeternae Perditionis venenum propinare.

Vade, Satana, inventor et magister  
omnis fallaciae, hostis humanae salutis.  
Humiliare sub potenti manu dei,  
contremisce et effuge, invocato a  
nobis sancto et terribili nomine,  
quem inferi tremunt."

"You know what Bobby? Your wife is here with meee…." She sang.

But that didn't stop Bobby. Unlike Sam, there was nothing Ruby could say to change his mind about demons. He knew she would try to confuse him, to distract him with lies. Demons were smart and they knew people's weakness.  
_  
_

_"Ab insidiis diaboli, libera nos, Domine.  
Ut Ecclesiam tuam secura tibi facias  
libertate servire, te rogamus, audi nos.  
Ut inimicos sanctae Ecclesiae humiliare digneris,  
te rogamus, audi nos._

Ut inimicos sanctae Ecclesiae  
te rogamus, audi nos."

"Sam? Sam? Help me please. They're hurting me." She whined.

Sam seemed to be about to step in and stop the ritual. But Mary was with him. She put her hand on his chest, stopping him. Sam looked down at his mom and she shook her head. And he knew she was right.

He had to look away.  
_  
_

_"Terribilis Deus de sanctuario suo.  
__Deus Israhel ipse truderit virtutem  
et fortitudinem plebi Suae.  
Benedictus Deus. Gloria Patri."_

Then Ruby screamed and a cloud of black smoke filtered through the sack, disappearing through the door.

Ruby's vessel fell limp to the floor and Bobby breath relieved. He looked over his shoulder and saw Sam's shocked expression and how his worried mother was holding him upright.

"You know this was the right thing to do. Right Sam?"

Sam nodded. Speechless.

Mary hugged his son and then glanced at Bobby.

"We better leave now. We have to find Dean."

They took their things and left the room.

*

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*

After five glasses of the whisky Ham had kindly provided, he wasn't worried at all. He felt fuzzy inside. He snickered at the thought.

He was feeling kind of detached from everything. It was like watching his life from the outside. Like witnessing some other guy's life. Or a really bad soap opera.

"So… my descendants must keep with the family tradition of baby-sitting Lucifer?"

She nodded, amused.

Dean snorted. He gulped down the remains of whisky and poured another glass. He spilled whisky all over the table but he didn't seem to care.

"And what happens if… if I don't have descendants? If I don't want to have children destined to do a job they haven't chosen? If I don't want to do that to them? What happens then? Huh?"

Hamied looked at him, confusion clear on her tiny features.

"I don't understand. Why would you say that? You already have a son."

That sobered Dean up.

*

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	13. Chapter 13

**LOOSE ENDS**

**CHAPTER 13**

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**A/N: **I know it's been over a month since my last update and I'm SO sorry. I went back to work, didn't have much free time to write and was completely blocked with this story. BTW, I wrote this before watching "The End" so any similarities you may find are just a coincidence. Please, read & review! Peace ;-)

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Mary looks to her left to Bobby, who is busy driving through the biggest storm she has ever seen. It's been raining almost non-stop for a whole week, they haven't seen the sun since the day they got to Bobby's, but this… this is something different. It had gotten worse all of a sudden. Something is about to happen. Something big. Something really bad…

He is clearly worried, like she is, and not just about the weather.

Looking to her right she sees the other source of their worries.

Sam.

He sits miserably beside her, head resting on her shoulder. Arms crossed across his middle and frown creasing his forehead. He's awake but he seems kinda off. Not talking, not looking at them, not showing interest in their conversations…

He's shaking bad and sweating profusely. He feels warm against her shoulder. Mary thinks he's probably coming down with the flu…

So she simply tries to offer him comfort. That's all she can do for her son. Coddling him, reassuring him like she did with Dean days before.

"I know where Dean is." He says finally, so quiet they barely hear him.

"What?"

"I know where Dean is." He repeats, louder this time. But he doesn't look at them, he doesn't move. Just stares ahead.

"How do you know that, honey?" Mary speaks softly, caressing his hair while she does so.

Sam simply shrugs and shifts position.

"We have to go south. That's where Dean is. South."

And with that he closes his eyes and goes to sleep.

*

*

*

Hamied refused to tell Dean anything about his son. "You'll find out in due time", she had said. "Don't worry about it for now."

That was easy for her to say. She wasn't the one with an unknown child somewhere out there.

Well, maybe not unknown. As soon as Ham said the word _son_, he thought about Ben. But no. No way. Lisa had said he wasn't his. Dean had asked and her answer had been an emphatic 'no'. But he couldn't help but wonder… No. No way.

And now he finds himself making a mental list of all the possibilities.

There was this girl in Buffalo… Jane? Jean?... They were in the Impala's backseat half an hour after meeting at that bar. They didn't have time to think about protection. Then there was Mary from Vancouver… The vanilla-coffee girl… The red head in that swimming pool… That waitress in New Mexico…

He stops as soon as his head starts hurting.

He steps outside, tired of being locked in that cabin. He needs fresh air and rain had always relaxed him.

His headache starts to get worse rapidly. Soon the pain blinds him, taking him by surprise, and he is on his knees on the wooden floor, holding his head.

Ham is at his side in a second.

"Headache?"

He nods, unable to form an answer, incapable of opening his eyes.

"Bad?"

He nods again.

"Then he is near", she states calmly.

Hamied looks around worried.

Then, just as fast as it came, the headache is gone leaving Dean panting and exhausted.

"Then… my head hurts when Lucifer is in the neighborhood?"

"Yes."

"Who am I? The freaking Harry Potter??"

The angel tries to help Dean up to his feet, but he refuses. Half-angel or not he still has his human pride.

"Does this mean the… "battle" is near?", he asks. Afraid of the answer.

"It certainly seems so."

And he's scared. For the first time since all this shit started he is really scared. He can feel fear in his stomach, oppressing his chest, making it hard to breathe. The end is near and, suddenly, very real too.

He is surprised by another wave of dizziness and pain. And when it is over he finds himself in front of the ocean. And it's such a complete cliché, he's glad Sam is not there to make a chick-flick moment of it. The wind is running through his hair…the sun is shining… the sound of waves breaking… the salty smell…

He closes his eyes and inhales deeply. He can't remember the last time he saw the ocean. And who cares how he got there? The only thing that matters is that this is exactly what he needed. And whoever took him there must've been a freaking psychic or something to read his mind.

It's not until he takes a step forward when he realizes he's on the verge of a cliff.

"Shit!"

"Hey, be careful there. This is as real as you make it."

He turns around to find the source of the familiar voice and he's suddenly face to face with his brother.

"Sam??"

_Sam_ smiles condescendingly and his eyes turn red and it's then when Dean knows this is not Sam.

"Why do you look like my brother?" He spats angrily. How does this… _thing_ dare to look like his brother?

"You choose what I look like, Dean." He replies calmly.

"You're lying. Demons lie."

"I'm not a demon. I'm an angel Dean. I brought you here but this… place, this body… That was your choice. So maybe you should ask yourself why you see your brother when you meet Lucifer." He winks at him and smiles Sam's dimpled smile. And it is so wrong he feels sick.

"No" He says. "Don't talk about my brother. You have no right to mention him. He has nothing to do with this. This is about us, you and me, and about how I'm going to kick your winged ass into next millennium."

Dean smirks cockily and Lucifer laughs. Sam's laugh.

"You think you'd be able to kill me? Really? That's adorable…"

"Think whatever you want, but I'm gonna beat the crap outta you." He doesn't mention he's not gonna kill him, just lock him. He wants to have any advantage he can in the case he knows something Lucifer doesn't.

"Look. We all know you're gonna die trying even before you lay a hand on me. Let's make a deal. I think you are already familiar with those."

Dean flinches at that.

"Surrender and I'll give you whatever you want. You want money? A big house? A collection of muscle cars...?"

Lucifer looks at Dean in the eye, smiling mischievously and he lowers his voice.

"Or maybe… A family? Wife…kids… A white fence? I know your deepest dreams and wishes. I could even try to bring Daddy back…"

At that Dean is startled, and Lucifer thinks he's finally found something to negotiate with.

"Yeah… that would be really easy. What do you say? Mommy and Daddy Winchester? A nice house in a quiet suburban neighborhood? A loooong healthy life for all the family. Your choice. All you have to do is… get out of my way."

Dean looks down and scratches his neck like he does when he's nervous. Lucifer can see the battle in his head. The doubt. The weight of the responsibility laying on his shoulders. He's about to break.

He looks up, embarrassed and guilty.

"Well?"

Dean spits on Sam's face.

"Not even in your dreams, asshole."

Lucifer is furious, but he makes no move to wipe his face.

"As you wish."

He snaps his fingers and Dean is suddenly in Lawrence, in front of their old house. Ham on his side.

"What…? How…?"

"I brought you here." Ham says. "This is where everything started for you. This is where it has to end."

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End file.
